Just Breathe Trilogy Box Set (45 page)

“You don’t sound too excited,” Mrs. Covelli states. “He seems like a very nice young man.”

“Yes, he’s very nice. It’s just . . . the premier is a business transaction for me,” I explain my apprehension.

“How is it a business transaction for you?” Mr. Covelli searches.

“I’m a partial owner of Nathaniel’s,” I disclose.

“She’s being modest. She’s more than just a partial owner,” Joe interjects.

“Ahh,” Mr. Covelli says.

“Did you two date at one point? That would explain his affection towards you and yours to him. I’m guessing you broke it off,” Mrs. Covelli specifies more than questions.

Joe appears calm at his mother’s prying, but he does slightly shift in his seat.

“I don’t date, but something along those lines,” I explain.

“Ahh . . . well, regardless, make sure you allow yourself to have some fun. The boys will be there along with your friends, so you’ll have plenty of pleasant distractions,” Mrs. Covelli presents kindly.

“I will. Thank you,” I reply.

It takes a minute or two for our conversation to strike back up again. Mrs. Covelli keeps things light by asking me questions about our recent rip to Hawaii and any details about Maggie’s and Henry’s wedding I can share.

By ten minutes after eleven, I excuse myself from our meeting. I have to get home and change before meeting up with Maggie at the Li family home for more wedding preparations. Just as Joe is escorting me down to his car, because he insists on driving me the half mile home and not taking no for an answer, we see Jimmy and Allen when the elevator doors open. They’re happy to see that I haven’t left and assert that they will join Joe and me. Jimmy and Allen say that they have yet to see my home and felt left out since everyone else — everyone but Chris — know where I live.

I was a little disappointed that it wouldn’t be just Joe and myself. For some reason, I was hoping to have some time with him. I need to explain that we need to back off or because of what Jared and Nathan were hinting towards the other night. At the same time, I was happy to have Jimmy and Allen to tag along. They are really fun to hang out with, and given the fact that I have my period, having them around makes it less awkward, preventing the chance for things to evolve further with Joe. I’ve heard of some women having and enjoying sex when it’s that time of the month, but the whole idea bugs me out. I don’t think I’ll ever be that comfortable with someone to even consider it.

Jimmy, Allen and Joe join me in taking Sadie to the park after we get to my door. Once we’re back to my apartment, they peer around, commenting on a variety of things before I rush them out with Sadie and me. They try to get me to agree to have them drive me down to the Li home, but I politely refuse, explaining that it will only take me about ten to fifteen minutes to get to Maggie by train. If we drive, it would talk more like forty minutes or longer with LA traffic.

The rest of the day, I’m with Maggie until she drops Sadie and me off at home just after eleven at night. Still processing the verbal agreement Joe, Mr. and Mrs. Covelli and I have pertaining to business, I refrain from telling Maggie anything. I don’t want to jinks the good news and want to wait until I’m with her and Jared at the same time. I need to make sure that Joe doesn’t say anything either. I text him and he graciously obliges. He asks if he can stop by, but I decline. I’m mentally and physically tired and the last thing I want to explain to him about putting the breaks on any physical interaction is all due to Jared acting weird and my menstrual cycle.

The next morning, as I’m returning from taking Sadie out for an early, peaceful, morning jog, I stop in my tracks as she bolts towards our door. Sadie never leaves my side until we’re in the hall, but today is different. She’s in a full run. Why? There are only one of four reasons she would do it — she sees Maggie, Jared, Nathan, or — Joe.

“Are you stalking me?” I allude, squinting my eyes at him as I approach.

“No . . . not unless you’d like me to,” Joe counters in his delectable sexy voice.

“The sexy voice won’t help you,” I sass with a smirk.

“You sure?” he surveys, pulling me into him.

I easily submit to his mouth.

“Nor will a kiss,” I tease, staying close and just barely letting go of his lips. “This is the reason why I don’t let men know where I live. They think they can just stop by anytime they want.”

Joe takes the keys from my hand and unlocks the door without saying a word. We stay close until the door is open enough for me to squirm out of his reach.

“So why are you here, especially this early in the morning?” I pry, heading towards the kitchen.

“I didn’t get to properly say goodbye yesterday after our meeting since Jimmy and Allen tagged along,” he reveals, closing in on me while I gulp down some water.

“You’ve gone days before . . .” I begin.

“Exactly,” he interrupts, erotically hijacking my mouth for several beats. “I couldn’t wait days to feel you again.”

Not caring about the sweaty mess I am from running, I surrender to him. I’m not sure what exactly happens until I feel him lowering me onto my bed. The weight of him pinning me down ignites my itch and I moan, wanting more. Why now? Why couldn’t he wait a few more days? I want this — but not like this, not with two more days to go with my period.

Barely shifting his body or removing his lips from mine, Joe manages to shrug out of his shirt. His skin feels like hot stones that have been sitting in the sun. Not too hot to touch — just hot enough.

Shaking my head, I mildly protest even though I continue to kiss him back. Joe grabs my hips and rolls us to where he is under me and I’m straddling him. In one swift movement, he glides us to a seated position and has my shirt tugging away from the top of my head. Great — not my other Achilles’ Heel which is being on top! Damn it!

My arms tighten around his shoulders until his mouth moves to my chin and begins sweeping down my neck. I feel my thighs squeeze around his legs as my hips starts to lightly grind him. Joe’s hands grip my ass like he’s encouraging me to keep rocking.

“No . . .” I pant, pushing him away with my hands on his chest.

“Why?” he groans, but doesn’t stop his pursuit on my neck as he heads down to my collar bone.

“Because . . .” I try to rationalize it out loud.

It makes sense in my head why, but I don’t want to explain the real reason to him, let alone the fact that I need to leave soon.

“Because, why?” he seeks, slowing his pace.

The only thing I can come up with other than,
I have my period
, is, “Because I don’t want to break two rules at the same time.”

With a smile returning, Joe investigates. “So you do want to . . . .”

Before I’m required to give any kind of an answer, my head jerks towards the kitchen when I hear the buzzer. “I need to get that,” I announce still sitting on his lap. “I’m waiting for a package to be delivered.”

Joe chuckles. “I’m right here.” His lips continue their track up and down my neck.

I purse my lips at his cute response. I totally set myself up for that. Joe holds onto my waist as I try to dismount him. The buzzer goes off again. My eyebrows lift as I give him a glare. With a smile, he tugs at the nape of my neck, seeking a kiss before letting me go.

As I get out to the kitchen area, my phone chirps and the buzzer sounds a third time. I yank my phone out of my purse as I head to the door. Maggie’s calling. I can call her back in a second once I check who’s trying to come up.

“Hello?” I greet a little out of breath, pressing the buzzer button.

“Hey! I forgot my key and I really need to pee,” Maggie answers.

Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

“Okay,” I mutter while pressing the button to have the outer gate unlock for her.

“Thanks,” she offers.

I bolt back into my bedroom, almost colliding into a topless Joe. “You need to go! Now!”

“Why?” he nonchalantly inquires as I toss him his shirt and start to push him to the door. Joe pushes his weight back into me, slowing us down.

“Maggie is on the way up! You need to go!” I shout.

“What’s the big deal? She knows we hang out,” he rebuts.

“Because you're topless, have a raging hard-on, I’m a sweaty mess and I’m not about to . . . ” I pause not wanting to finish the sentence.

I don’t want my friends to know that there’s the potential of anything happening between Joe and me. Why? I’m not quite sure and now is not the time to speculate.

Joe laughs at the start of my answer. “About to what?” he presses, more from amusement at me panicking rather than really needing to know, as if he already knows what I would say.

Finally at the door, I open it and check the hallway. It’s clear. Shit. No, it’s not. I hear the elevator ding open. I shut the door but leave it unlocked.

“I thought you wanted me to leave,” Joe sarcastically states.

“Not funny,” I announce, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him towards the office through the hall that leads to the second bath and bedroom.

He moves a little lighter this time, but not as fast as I would like.

“Stay here! Do not say a word or come out. If you do, I will kill you. When I get Maggie to follow me into the bathroom, then you will quietly exit my apartment. Got it?” I order.

Joe grabs my face and plants a sensual kiss on my lips. It takes me a few seconds to pull away.

“I’m here,” Maggie shouts, opening the door.

“Stay and hide,” I mouth to Joe.

Running down the short hall, I almost collide into Maggie as she heads toward the guest bathroom. Shit! What the hell?!

“Hey,” I greet. “Why don’t you use the master?” I direct.

“This one is closer,” she replies, yanking her dress up and her underwear down, leaving the door wide open. “What took you so long?”

“Sorry. I was in the bathroom when you buzzed,” I lie convincingly.

“Ohh, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I remark. “Why are you here so early?”

Maggie finishes relieving herself before answering, “Henry left early this morning for some business back in China. He’s going to be there for at least a week, maybe longer, and I figured since I was up, knew you are always up early and I’m starting to freak out about all of this while he’s gone, and that I need my best girlfriend.”

“There’s no need to freak out,” I console as we head out to the kitchen. “Everything is getting done. Having Amelia is a godsend.”

“I know, right?!” she agrees with a sigh. “It’s just my family and Henry’s family. It’s getting to be a little too much for me. I need a break from it all or else I’m going to snap.”

“Don’t know why . . .” I sarcastically reply which gets her to smile.

“So . . . before we get into wedding stuff, I want to know about the premier!” she discloses.

I internally cringe before passively asking, “What about it?”

“Nathan told me, but I want to hear it directly from you! Are you excited?” She bounces up and down on the bar stool.

“Ahhh, sure,” I proclaim.

“Why aren’t you excited?” she asks with a disappointed pucker. “You’ve got a hunky guy taking you out for a night in the spotlight.”

“All of that,” I contend, taking out some fruit from the fridge for us to eat.

“So, you really are just doing it to help Nathan?!” Maggie double checks, not that she didn’t believe Nathan when he told her.

“Yes. It’s just a business transaction to get Nathan and his designs noticed,” I reinforce.

“So you really aren’t into him anymore?”

“Who? Chris?”

“Yeah, Chris.”

“No. And, I was never interested in the first place,” I disclose.

“You were interested in him enough to have sex with him,” she reminds.

I wince but fail to hide it.

“Why don’t you sleep with him again,” Maggie suggests.

“No! Hell no,” I rebut.

“Was it that bad?” she searches.

Maggie and I never actually talked about it that night after Ayana’s beyond the few details I disclosed at Nathan’s the next day. We were too busy getting each other off. I don’t want to say too much. God only knows Joe is enjoying overhearing this conversation. I know he is. I would be eagerly listening in if I was him right now.

“He finished before me and it was Molly who got me off, remember,” I blurt loudly.

Shit. I meant for that to be more of a whisper.

“Well, thank God for Molly,” Maggie chuckles. “And, then me later that night!”

I can’t help but join her in the amusement. “Yeah . . . .”

“What’s up with you?” she accuses.

“What?” I deny.

“Don’t what me,” she declares. “You’ve been weird lately.”

“No, I haven’t,” I try to deflect her statement.

“Yes, you have and you are right now,” she stands her ground.

I don’t say anything and we stare at each other for what feels like a minute in silence.

“You need to get laid. When was the last time you had sex?”

“I don’t need to get laid,” I proclaim, not wanting to talk about it.

“Bullshit,” she yells and immediately clasps her hands over her mouth.

We both giggle. Maggie never swears.

“When was the last time you got laid?” she presses.

“The other day,” I answer.

“With who?” she pries, not believing me.

We openly talk about sex, so she knows that something is up since I’m trying to avoid the whole thing.

“B.O.B.”

“Battery operated boyfriends don’t count,” she declares.

“B.O.B. counts,” I retort, defending my statement. “I can always count on B.O.B. to do his job.”

“Self-satisfaction never counts.” Maggie studies me for a moment. “Oh my God!”

“What?” I reply with a mouth fully of strawberry.

“Oh my God!”

“What!” I repeat.

She’s starting to freak me out.

“Did you? Yep! You totally did!” she shouts.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I search.

I’m so confused by what she’s implying.

“You slept with Joe!”

“What?! No! No, no, no, no, no!” I rebut.

“Yes, you did,” she continues. “Jared said . . . .”

“What did Jared say?” I explore trying to keep calm.

“Nothing,” Maggie denies.

“What did Jared say,” I enunciate each word.

“Jared said you two were acting weird the other day when you agreed to be Chris’ date.”

“How were we acting?”

“Okay, it was more Joe than you,” she express.

“I did not have sex with Joe,” I stand firm.

I haven’t. A few minutes ago, I might have, but I’m telling the truth; at least about the sex topic.

She watches me closely. “Okay. I believe you,” Maggie says with conviction. “Then with who?”

“You are the last person I’ve slept with,” I announce.

“Seriously?!”

“Yes, seriously.”

“We definitely need to get you laid. Why not Joe. He’s available and you’re . . . .”

I quickly cut her off, “No!”

“Why not? He’s totally into you. Nathan said that he looked heartbroken when you agreed to do the premier with Chris,” she continues.

“I’m not talking about this with you again . . .” I declare shaking my head.

“Why not?” she pushes.

I glare at her because she knows why. Plus, I don’t want to talk about it with Joe in the other room.

“It might do you good,” she expresses.

“What?”

“To sleep with Joe.”

“Why is that?” I giggle nervously.

“You clearly haven’t been with a guy since Chris, which was . . . back in February, and you’ve never gone this long . . . .”

I jump on her train of thought, “We’ve trolled and I’ve trolled since then.”

“That may be true, but you’ve obviously been picky . . . picky enough not to sleep with anyone other than me.” After a moment of silence, she asks, “Why don’t we go trolling tonight?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“Because . . .” I return, trying to avoid the reason.

She studies me again before taking out her phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking.”

“Checking what?”

“That explains it,” she affirms.

“What?”

“You. Your mood. Aside from not getting laid in a while you’re menstruating.”

I don’t freak out when Maggie announces it because we’re practically on the same schedule. Then I remember that Joe is in the other room. Crap.

“You know what . . .” she begins.

“What?” I place the forks and empty fruit bowl in the dishwasher.

“I’m a day or two late . . . must be the stress of the wedding,” she speculates.

“Probably,” I agree.

“You don’t mind if I crash here until Henry gets back, do you?”

“Not at all,” I confirm.

“Okay. After we’re done menstruating, we’re going trolling . . . for you, of course,” she asserts.

“Don’t have time,” I contend.

“There’s always time to get my best friend laid. You know you should seriously reconsider being with a guy more than just a few times . . .” she suggests.

“Why is that?”

“Because by the third time Henry and I . . . .”

“Ahhhhhh! La la la la la! I don’t want to hear about you and Henry,” I scream plugging my ears. “It’s bad enough that you already tried to talk me into having a three-way with you two. La la la la la la.”

Maggie’s mouth finally stops moving and I take my fingers out of my ears.

Maggie grabs my hands and holds them down while she blurts, “By the third time we got into really knowing each other. I orgasm a minimum of two or three times each time . . . .”

I fight her to get my arms back. Maggie can be really strong when she wants to, but I break free a little too late. I quickly plug my ears and scream again. “Ahhhhhh!”